I recently read a booklet that had been handed to our group (consisting of Fiona, baby William, Hun Lye, Ryan Morra, Ryan Boyle, and myself) while we were in Taipei visiting the Foguang Shan Vihara, which is the Taipei center for Taiwan's biggest and probably most influential Buddhist group, which specially brands itself as "humanistic Buddhism." The founder, Ven. Master Hsing Yun, gave a keynote address concerning environmental protection, and the booklet was a translation of that speech, with the title "Environmental and Spiritual Preservation," which caught my attention not only because I had had a long and thoughtful discussion with Ryan Morra about our shifting opinions about the matter since Warren Wilson, which ended, at least for me, rather open-endedly, but also because such concerns for Urban Dharma, in Asheville, will be a key issue that we should address with some sort of thought and "plan of action."
I won't try to summarize the points that Ven. Master Hsing Yun addressed, but I was struck by the simplicity of the Buddhist take on the matter (at least, a Buddhist take). And while we can talk about things that may or may not have any emotional pull or push with people, but which are, technically Buddhist, (such as end of the world scenarios of destruction by fire, flood, and wind, which he does address), one of the most important things I got from his lecture was the emphasis and importance of singular human action, even if it is just recycling your cardboard. I have always, I admit, felt disdainful about such solutions; but Buddhism always takes us back to our immediate reality and actions. Exactly, actually, back to the mind, where a certain amount of cleaning needs to take place first, or simultaneously, so that we might take delight in such simple action, and cherish the benefit to life, however small, that such action and intention gives.
It's hard to feel satisfied with such an answer when such vast structural, economic, and world problems seem to be racing our planet to destruction. And perhaps we shouldn't feel satisfied with just this answer alone. I don't know. However, Buddhism has the ability to calm our minds, give us satisfaction in a tangible and consistent world, where certain actions harbor certain results, and indeed, if we do take care of our actions, there is nothing more we can do.
All phenomenon are only mind.
ReplyDeleteConsidering this fact, environmental problems, I think, become easier to digest. It is a product of our karma that we have these problems (even a non-buddhist would agree to this I think - in the sense of cause and effect) and it is our choice what kind of karma we create. Individually, if we do our best to preserve the environment and be mindful of our consumption, then, later we will have the corresponding effects. If we consume rampantly, then we will have the corresponding effects. That said, of course as a group, we must reform laws and policies and working to that end is an extremely important thing. But, on the other hand, we can only do what we can do. Enjoy our good conditions and our privilege while we can.
I happened upon this from "Living in the 21st Century: A Buddhist View," written by Ven. Sheng Yen, and it was much along the same lines as Hsing Yun's booklet. However, I'll reproduce it here because I like his (or his translator's) deliberate wording:
ReplyDelete"We do not curse modern industry and commerce; neither do we denounce the rapid development of technological production. Therefore, we are forced to appeal to the religious and spiritual leaders of the word to advise all humankind that it must take responsibility to protect the environment while engaged in industrial, commercial, and technological activities. Human beings should not just because of their curiosity for technological innovations and the competition of industrial and commercial wealth, keep on destroying the environment on which we rely for our survival; otherwise, humankind's history will not endure another thousand years!"
Later he appeals again in much the same way: "So, we have to appeal to the religious and spiritual leaders of the whole world not only to pray for the success of environmental work, but also to get involved personally in the all-encompassing movement of environmental protection."
Then he outlines four major principals of environmental protection, which relate to the natural, living, social, and spiritual environments respectively:
"1. The cherishing of natural resources and the protection of the ecological environment;
2. Maintaining cleanliness in family life and using daily necessities simply and frugally;
3. Improving interpersonal politeness and social etiquette; and,
4. Instead of considering everything from the standpoint of one person, one race, one time-period, and one place, we should consider it from the standpoint that all humankind of all time and space should be protected in their existence, possess the right to live, and feel the dignity of life."
And then, with some importance, he writes: "The environmental tasks we carry out have to go deeper from the material level to the spiritual level of society and thinking. Environmental protection must be combined with our respective religious beliefs and philosophical thinking into an earnest mission, so that environmental protection will not become mere slogans. So, strictly speaking, the purification of humankind's mind and heart is more important than the purification of the environment. If our mind is free from evil intentions and is not polluted by the surroundings, our living environment will also not be spoiled and polluted by us. However, for ordinary people, it is advisable to set out by cultivating the habit of protecting the material environment, and go deeper step by step until at last they can cultivate environmental protection on the spiritual level."
I like Ven. Sheng Yen's commentary a lot, that is quite nice, very clear.
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